The planning authorities have their hands full with Dublin Airport.
Between passenger caps and night flights, they have enough to be getting on with, but added to the mix is a Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) plan to knock down the now unused spiral ramps for cars next to Terminal 1.
On Wednesday An Coimisiún Pleanála turned down DAA’s appeal to demolish the ramps. Doing so “would diminish the visual amenity on approach to T1 and expose the crude architectural detailing of the existing structures to the rear of the spirals, including the prominent architectural elements of the energy centre screened by the spiral car park ramps and as such would erode the character of the area”, the commission said.
Please.
This is not an application to demolish something like a block of Georgian buildings in the city centre. The character of the area around Terminal 1 has changed dramatically since it was built in 1972. What character it has now is that of a hotchpotch of buildings and walkways built at different times in an effort to keep a rapidly expanding airport fit for purpose. It has little resemblance to what was a beautiful, and not always full, building in the 1970s and 1980s.
[ Planners just cannot win at Dublin AirportOpens in new window ]
The reality is the airport is a key part of the State’s infrastructure. It is bursting at the seams as it is, and has to always be in position to evolve to match the changing demands of air travel.
This is a much different issue to the likes of the 32 million passenger cap. The cap has been in place since 2007. It was only in the last 18 months or so that it has become an issue, with DAA and airlines railing against a rule in place for almost two decades.
An Coimisiún Pleanála sends a very clear message to any owner or manager of a large development in Ireland with this ruling: don’t build anything interesting. Don’t seek a memorable design or anything that might be architecturally notable. Build something as boring and generic as possible. Think Hawkins House more than Terminal 1.
It might be the only way you will be allowed replace it when it has reached the end of its functional lifespan in a few decades.
